Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-07-01

purchased it and began the erection Of thu
present work The fort covers about n
acres Of ground, the form being that of al
irregular hexagon. The walls are Of gran
tie and rise to "A height of about IS feet
About the entire work extends moat from
20 30 100 feet wide and faced with granite
the water in which is six or eight feet il
depth. Up to the beginning of the rebel
lion the work had cost the government
about S5,5OO,O00 Crossing the brdg,
which spans the moat and entering tn,
open gates we find that the interior is wei
laid out with walks and grass plots shaded
with live oak and other trees, by the sid,
Of which stand several two-story brick
buildings occupied by the garrison Tn,
casemate is pointed out in which jeff Davi.
had his quarters while prisoner, and d
group Of brass cannon captured from the
British at Yorktown and Saratoga occupy
"A place upon the lawn. From the rampant.
and embrasures of the fort huge cannon
command the surrounding waters while
conveniently near countless shells, solid
shot, etc, are piled in heaps and win
rows. In these piping times Of peace the
fort is not entirely useless, for here officer.
from West Point on application are given a
post graduate course in artillery study and
practice, and here the wealthy mother
brings her marrageable daughters to storm
the citadel Of Mars from the commanding
walls of the Hygeia and take captive the
aforesaid officers
A few rods away from the fort stands
the light house, and at little distance, fac
ing Hampton Roads, stands the Hygeia no
tel, famous especially as a winter resort for
Northern people of wealth and leisure.
but frequented all the year round by per.
sons in search of health or rest. 1t has &C
commodations for 1000 guests, but in win
ter is often overrun The ground is to be
broken this week for another immense no.
tel near by.
Newport News where in the early part
OF the war the Union troops effected land
ing preparatory to marching on Big Bethel.
is located seven miles southwest of Hamp-
ton, on the point formed by the James riv-
er where it enters Hampton Roads. The
James is here about seven miles in width.
and off the bluff which forms the north
bank there is a sufficient depth of water t.
float the largest ships This place has
therefore been chosen 10y the managers Of
the Chesapeake q Ohio railroad as their
principal seaboard terminus for freight.
and in the six or eight years that the road
has been in operation the place has grown
from state Of nothingness to one of great
expectations. The company have erected
a grain elevator said to be the largest in the
world, having capacity of 800 600 bush
els, have built wharves where immigrants
arrive from foreign shores and vessels of
all nations load with grain, lumber, tohac-
co, coal, etc, and they are now building a
dry dock large enough to accommodate any
ship atloat. As the road has through west
ern connections and is controlled bv that
great railroad magnate, c. 2. Huntington
of New York, it is not improbable that
Newport News is destined at no distant
day to become city.
Norfolk, IA miles south of Hampton and
"A short distance up Elizabeth river. is Il
city Of over 10000 inhabitants, and boast,
Of being the peanut market for the world
and one of the leading ports for the ship.
ment Of cotton. 1t is the northern termi.
nus Of the Dismal Swamp canal, and has
good railroad connections north and west
The region round about Norfolk. comprisinp
the southeastern extremity Of the state. has
III recent years become noted for its mar
ket gardens, which supply the northern eli
ties with early vegetables at rates with
which northern growers cannot compete.
In fact, the Virginia gardeners outdid them
selves this spring in the line of early peas,
which giutted all the markets and did not
bring them enough to pay their freight bills
However. they are now rushing their early
potatoes into market at good prices. and
perhaps will make the years balance come
ON the right side. The L. x navy yard.
near Norfolk, which during the war was
alternately burned 10y the Union and Con
federate forces, is still in use.
Up the James may be seen numerous
places of historic interest Williamsburg.
the seat of William and Mary college, the
second oldest in the country and the place
where Patrick Henry made the walls Of the
old capitol reecho with his denunciation of
the stamp act jamestown, the site of the
first white settlement in Virginia in 1907.
the scene of Capt John Smiths trials and
triumphs, and the spot where in August.
1913, the first cargo Of negro slaves brought
10 this country were landed from "A Dutch
man war, against the protests of the col
onlsts ; and farther on are Petersburg and
acknowledges whose names were not
unfamiliar to northern ears quarter Of IA
century ago, and visit TO which will well
repay one who cherishes a memory of that
period. The distance from here u Rich
mond is about 50 miles
OF Mount Vernon, Washington, Balti-
more, Annapolis, and other well known
places of easy access from here, / need not
speak. The most popular resorts for sea
bathing hereabouts are Ocean View and
Virginia Beach, which are easily reached bv
water or by rail from Norfolk
The Oyster Industry.
According to the census returns, the
products of the oyster industry of the Unit
ed States are equal to those of all the other
fisheries of the country This industry
gives employment to over $4,000 persons
and more than so, 500 900 of capital, and
produces yearly $4,000, 900 bushels of oys-
tiers, valued at upwards of 5000, 900.
The oyster beds of the Chesapeake bay and
of the rivers flowing into it furnish so per
cent OF the entire crop, and give employ
ment to over 39, 600 persons and s., 900, 900